The Game Blender #8 - PS3 price cut, Japan kills Xbox 360, PS3-only AC Revelations Beta

GameDynamo - "Welcome back to the party! Another week another body of news has been attacked, bitten, turned zombie, and joined the hordes of undead thronging the Earth… journalistically speaking. On with the show!"

[maniacmayhem]

"can a gaming company survive without Japan's support? If it can, what does that say about Japan? Despite being the birthplace of modern gaming, Japan's relevance in the industry is dwindling quickly. If things don't change, they may be left behind."

I asked the same question. Japan used to be the place where you would want to make it big (electronic wise). I think it is still important from a business point of view but with the whole world gaming japan just really isnt relevant.

[baker_boi]

Well seeing as Japanese Studios are still putting out a large number of games each year, and Two of the major console retailers are Japan Based...I'd say they're quite relevant.

Lets say this, take Japan completely out of the picture and I can guarantee you'll see a massive DIP in gaming productions.

There are about 5 or 6 U.S. and Europe based developers that are putting out most of the games that are released in the west, there's about rough the same number in japan, maybe 1 or 2 more(talkin semi-large, to large and well known companies from east and west here) So having one side "not be relevant" is good for the industry or gaming in general.

[maniacmayhem]

Japan studios aren't really putting out that many if you think about it. Lets take a look at some upcoming MAJOR releases coming soon:

Gears of War 3
Forza 4
Resistance 3
Uncharted 3
Mass Effect 3
Elder Scrolls: skyrim(sp)
CALL OF DUTY MW3
Battlefield 3

Out of all those heavy hitters how many of those are made in japan?

Not to mention the major japanese companies are looking to the west to develop their games. Konami and Capcom has already done this.

Not to mention consumers. Japan isn't the biggest consumer of games anymore. We have the west to thank for a large number of software sales. So again from a business point, yes having japan is great but not "going out of business" if you can't.

[baker_boi]

(Damn it's year of the 3's SON! Don't forget Saints Row 3)

Yeah but, the flaw in that is you listed games that we already know aren't from Japanese developers. The burden is to prove that Japan ISN'T a big chunk of industry.

The better idea would have been to list the number of games coming from japan this year, and say "See not that many are coming out!"

But you didn't do that, but I will list Japanese based developed games that came out earlier and ones still to drop.

Ar tonelico Qoga: Knell of Ar Ciel
Hyperdimension Neptunia
The Last Guardian (we'll have to wait and see...)
No More Heroes: Heroes’ Paradise
Yakuza 4
White Knight Chronicles 2
Dark Souls
Dynasty Warriors 7
Kingdom Under Fire 2(prolly pushed back again, haven't seen any news on it)
Knights Contract
MvC3(and UMvC3 unfortunately...)
Rune Factory
Shadows of the Damned
Tekken Hybrid
Disgaea 4
Ni no Kuni: The Queen of the Holy White Ash

There was/is a big chunk of japanese games that hit and are still to hit this year. I neglected to add most games releasing in japan that prolly wont release in the U.S. even though they're from a well known company.

2010 was a larger year for Japanese games, and 2012 seems to be even bigger.

[maniacmayhem]

@big boi

What I set out to do was list the "MAJOR" releases coming out. This is based off of popularity and the majority of what you see on gaming sites.

I could've listed even more non-japanese games but it would be irrelevant because they dont have the same amount of buzz as the ones i already listed.

The problem with your list is none of those titles are burning up the pre-order sites or will have 12 midnight launches.

Japan isn't the heavy hitter is used to be.

[baker_boi]

They may not be, "Burning" up the charts per say, but they all sell enough to warrant sequels (as we see in the list I put up) and for the companies to continue to expand their catalogs.

This is what Japan has been doing since the PS1 era. Name me any number of Japanese games that have been selling over 2 million from the PS1/Sega Saturn era.

We now street fighter has always sold a good bit, and Final Fantasy. But what other Japanese games have been, "heavy hitting" so to speak. ICO and Shadow of the Colossus are revered as classic greats and I don't think either pushed over 1 million.

When you're a company that puts out 2 or 3 games a year and each one of those sells 500k to 700k copies, THAT'S PROFIT.

A number of lesser known companies in Europe and the U.S. are doing this as well, that's how they continue sell GAMES. You're talking fantasy sport, and I'm talking about the reality of Business. It's business as usual in Japan, but some how we look at 12 games (hypothetically) coming about of Japan that sell about 500 to 700k each, like they've always done, and some how Japan is less relevant?

If that's the case I guess it was never relevant at all.

[Skateboard]

Well of course you can thrive without Japan but wouldn't.... you know? want more sells.

[Buho]

LOL the Xbox 360 failed in Japan. Say what you want but sales are sales and everyone wants more sales. Sure it won't affect WW 360 sales since the thing barely sold there, but that means PS3 sales are going to continue to increase and the gap separating the PS3 and the Xbox will shrink until the PS3 takes the lead over the Xbox 360.

[Simco876]

360 is huge in America, they don't have anything to worry about.

[Stryfeno2]

Well on thing MS can say that Nintendo and Sony can't is "Well we are sucessful without Japan."

[Happythedog]

They would turn around and say "we are sucessful at your home turf too".

[TBM]

@dude

really so Sony has been successful in america before, or neither has nintendo? because if they werent especially sony don't you think they would have dropped out of the console part of the business? also nintendo is waxing both in the americas with overall numbers.

god i can't believe how some people are sooooo blind.

[Hicken]

So... we can say that it's impressive that MS is doing so well without Japan, and it's true, to a certain extent.

I wonder why people think that Japan is no longer relevant. Given that all the handhelds and two out of three home consoles are made there, they seem pretty relevant to me.

Like it or not, Microsoft is lucky to still be in this generation. They should be disappointed in their failure in Japan, not dismissing of it because somebody thinks it's no longer relevant.

[TBM]

i think you mean microsoft is lucky to have its patriotic countrymen devoted support. like they are going to war or something lol. and yes M$ should be disppointed not just for their showing in japan, but also being past by sony throughout europe even with a year and half lead.

[Hicken]

I wouldn't consider it patriotic support. I'd call it the support of those following the crowd. If I ask all my customers who have a 360 WHY they have a 360, each of them will answer with "Because my friends have it." Many of them will say they originally bought it for Gears or Halo, as well, but the sad truth is that most 360 users don't know any better than to get a 360.

[labaronx]

but last week in japan alone, nintendo sold close to half a million 3ds

i love n4g

[kreate]

ya man.

with what? 120-130 million potential customers. its definately relevant.
and its not like this is a 3rd world country or something.
japan has 2nd largest economy in the world. 3rd richest people.

u gotta make a product that sells to them. and halo/gears strategy doesnt work there.

when sales are good in america. thats all that matters.
when sales are bad in other regions. lets shove it underneath the carpet and 'make' it irrelevant.

[Gamer_Z]

The Japanese are wise consumers they know a bad product when they see one, not like the people here in America that buy anything that's popular even if its a bag of dog poo.

[KingofGambling]

I actually agree with that statement about American consumers.